Sara Whybrew Board of Governors - Director of Skills and Workforce Development, BFI

Sara has over 20 years’ experience working in learning and skills for the creative industries and is currently Director of Skills and Workforce Development at the British Film Institute. Here, she oversees a multi-million-pound portfolio of initiatives designed to develop and progress a greater diversity of people in the screen workforce, alongside supporting businesses to adopt ‘good work’ practices and principles. She works closely with the UK Government to inform, and create sectoral responses to, skills and employment policy priorities.

Sara is passionate about supporting fair and equal entry to work, regardless of background, previous educational achievement, or personal circumstances. During her career, she has led the development and delivery of national sector skills programmes that support sectoral growth while opening doors to those underrepresented in the workforce. Sara authored and currently oversees the DCMS and Creative Industries Council-backed Good Work Review Action Plan. This includes pilot activity to aid free access to best-practice employment law and HR guidance, improved IP information for self-employed creators, support for creating a Creative Industries Freelance Champion, and a commitment to a shared position on ‘good work’ across the UK’s creative and cultural National Lottery funders.

During her time at Arts Council England, Sara co-created and led the delivery of the £15 million Creative Employment Programme, supporting thousands of unemployed young people into jobs across the arts. She later founded and led the early delivery of the award-winning Discover Creative Careers Week for 11–18-year-olds, an initiative that continues to be supported by DCMS today.

Sara initially trained at art school before training as a post-16 educator. She has also worked extensively across further and higher education.